07-04-2025
Twin Cities restaurateur David Burley dies in motorcycle accident
After working together as servers at the Nicollet Island Inn during the 1990s, David Burley and Stephanie Shimp opened the Highland Grill on Cleveland Avenue, followed by a series of additional restaurants under the title, Blue Plate Restaurant Company, including the Groveland Tap and Longfellow Grill.
On Sunday afternoon, Burley died from a motorcycle crash on Interstate 94 in Wisconsin's St. Croix County, according to a company statement shared on social media. All Blue Plate Restaurants will be closed on Monday in remembrance.
Stephanie Shimp, co-owner of the Blue Plate Restaurant Company and Burley's ex-wife, released a written statement Sunday evening.
'My heart is absolutely broken by the devastating news of David's passing,' Shimp wrote. 'Losing him so suddenly is overwhelming – a painful shock that has left me and our entire Blue Plate family grieving a loss too deep for words. David's passion and kindness were the foundation of everything we built together. We will profoundly miss his spirit, energy and irreplaceable presence.'
As co-founders of the Blue Plate Restaurant Company, the couple launched the Edina Grill, 3 Squares, The Lowry, The Blue Barn at the Minnesota State Fair and The Freehouse.
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